Confessions

Chapter 3

Chapter 3When Jane returned she suggested that we go for a long walk to clear the cobwebs, followed by lunch at a quaint little pub we’d discovered a few weeks ago. I readily accepted, glad that she was still up for making plans with me despite the strangeness between us, so Jane headed home to shower and change while I did the same.

Just as I got out of the shower my phone rang and I was delayed for a few minutes by an old friend, the upshot of this is that by the time Jane returned, I was still wrapped in a towel rummaging through my underwear drawer. She didn’t speak but I knew she was there, standing in the doorway behind me, watching, so I decided to take the bull by the horns to see what would happen.

I dropped the towel and stepped into my knickers, turning around to face her once I had. I let out a long sigh and stood in front of the mirror with my hands on my hips.

“I think I better stick to salad for lunch, I swear I’ve put on a few pounds; what do you think?”

I hoped my question sounded innocent, this wasn’t the first time she’d seen me scantily clad after all, and when she came and stood behind me and looked into the mirror over my shoulder, I could see the confusion in her eyes.

“You put on weight? You know damn well that you can eat what you want and not gain an ounce!”

Her hands were on my bare shoulders and I could feel her breath on my damp neck and suddenly I was covered in goose bumps, with n*****s hard enough to cut glass. Needless to say she didn’t fail to notice -- I just hoped she had no idea of the flood that was currently happening in my underwear.

I had deliberately forced this situation but now I had I didn’t know what to do about it, so I just looked at Jane in the reflection. Suddenly she took a big intake of breath and bolted from the room shouting “sorry, think I forgot to lock the door, back in a minute.” over her shoulder as she left.

I sat on the bed for a moment and composed myself. Jane had definitely been checking me out so maybe she was interested after all but if so, why run like a startled rabbit? Now I was more confused than ever!

After dressing I walked around to Jane’s house, calling out as I let myself in through the back door. I was wondering why she’d been so long and had a horrible feeling she was going to cancel our lunch date due to my little stunt.

On getting no response I headed for the stairs where I could hear her half of a phone conversation drifting down.

“I am not being a scaredy cat! .......................... No, of course I haven’t told her ...............................Yes it’s been ages but ..................... It’s not that simple Mum ......................shit, I have to go. Bye Mum, love you.”

I called out again and this time she called back saying she’d be right down, so I sat on a kitchen stool waiting nervously, until she walked into the kitchen and greeted me with a big smile, saying “come on, let’s go and walk up an appetite.”

When we reached the pub Jane went to the bar as I found a table. I was sitting there studying the way her arse filled her jeans so perfectly when I heard her cough, so I looked up and found myself staring straight into her eyes. s**t! I’d been caught blatantly checking her out and my face turned every shade of scarlet known to man.

She looked pensive as she brought two pints of ruby ale back to the table so I suspected something but I was still caught off guard by her frankness when she spoke.

“Were you teasing me deliberately earlier?”

I stuttered and stammered and nearly choked on my drink. I’d brought this on myself but now the subject was in the air I had absolutely no idea what to do or say.

“What makes you think that?” I finally got out, my face once again resembling a beetroot.

“Oh I don’t know, maybe the fact that I also just caught you staring at my arse!”

She was laughing as she spoke; probably trying to keep the mood light but all of a sudden I was angry that my obvious discomfort was so amusing to her.

“Well maybe I was trying to gauge if you found me attractive,” I hissed through clenched teeth “and I have to say that having you run out of the room like a startled rabbit didn’t exactly do wonders for my confidence, AND to make matters worse -- now you’re laughing at me!”

“Oh Ellie I’m sorry but the look on your face when I caught you was so comical I couldn’t help it!” She was almost crying with laughter and it wasn’t helping my mood.

“You know what, maybe this was a bad idea.” and before I knew what I was doing I’d stormed out of the pub door and was striding across the car park. I knew I was being ridiculous but the combination of embarrassment and anger had triggered my fight or flight response and apparently flight won that battle hands down. I was almost out of sight of the pub when I heard her.

“Ellie! Ellie come back. Where the f**k are you going?”

“Home!” I shouted back over my shoulder.

“You’re going the wrong way!”

Crap.